


beer and butterflies

by notsonxrmal



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Kageyama Tobio is a Good Friend, Kageyama Tobio is a dad, M/M, Punk Hinata Shouyou, Smut, bartender hinata shouyou, dad kageyama tobio
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:02:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29928999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notsonxrmal/pseuds/notsonxrmal
Summary: Kageyama Tobio is a twenty-four-year-old single father to his four-year-old son Rin. He works full time to support his son and has never had the time nor the capacity for anything other than his son and work. And he’s told himself that he was okay with that for years. If he had Rin, why would he need anything else?But when twenty-one-year-old bartender Hinata Shoyo comes into his life, those thoughts are quickly turned upside down.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi, this has nothing to do with my other work, but if you wanna read that one, too, i highly recommend it!
> 
> also, the title of this is a work in progress because i cannot decide on anything :)
> 
> enjoy~  
> ~M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worry and guilt gripped his gut so tightly that he felt as though he might throw up. 
> 
> If anything happened to Rin, if Rin was hurt—

“Rin, slow down,” Kageyama called after his raven-haired son, a breathy chuckle leaving his lips as the pitter-patter of the little boy’s sneakers on the pavement filled the spring air.

“Relax, Kags,” his long-time friend Suga commented with a smile, his brown eyes locked in on the mop of black hair as Rin ran towards the swingset. “He’ll be okay.”

Kageyama sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as his tall body deflated. “I just don’t want him to fall and scrape his knees or something. You know he’ll burst into tears.”

Suga chuckled, nudging Kageyama with an elbow. The spring breeze ruffled his silver hair as he turned to his friend, a friendly smile on his face. “You need to let him fly, Tobio. You don’t want to be _that_ parent, do you?”

Images of his own mother came to mind and Kageyama quickly shook his head, a sheepish smile forming on his face as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You’re right,” he admitted with a long exhale, staring after Rin fondly. “I just… I can’t believe he’s almost four already.”

“Dude, me neither. I still can’t believe _you_ have a kid before Daichi and I,” Suga agreed with a snort.

Daichi and Suga had been dating since they graduated high school and, after college, they were quick to move in with one another. What amazed him the most was that, despite the two of them being older than him, they never once lost touch with him and still remained his closest friends. And, when Rin was suddenly dumped on Kageyama’s doorstep, the two of them were quick to offer their help. He had to agree with Suga, though. He had never expected to be a father before the two of them.

Kageyama Rinsuke’s situation was an unfortunate one.

Kageyama had met Rin’s mother when they were in college at a bar. He’d had one too many drinks that night and so had she, but they still somehow ended up at his apartment. He couldn’t remember having sex with her, but when he’d awoken, she was gone and he was completely naked with the bedsheets tangled up around his waist. He didn’t think anything of it until Rin’s mother showed up at his door ten months later with a newborn swaddled in her arms.

The two of them tried to make it work for a while; she stayed at home with the baby while Kageyama worked his ass off to make ends meet. They both had to drop out of college to adjust to having a baby around, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. Rin’s mother left him three months later and he had been at a complete loss of what to do.

However, Suga and Daichi stepped up and offered to help. And they weren’t the only ones. Bokuto and Akaashi often came over to watch Rin and, perhaps the most surprising of all, so did Oikawa. Kageyama couldn’t believe that his college buddies—especially his elders—had been so willing to help him, but they all loved Rin nearly as much as he did.

“Still nothing from Akari?” Suga asked suddenly, dragging Kageyama from his thoughts as they neared a bench. Rin’s giggles resounded through the air as he climbed the playset then slid down the slide on his back.

Kageyama shook his head, lips twisting into a frown. “I’ve accepted that she’s never going to come back and that’s fine. Rin and I don’t need her.”

“Hm…” Suga hummed, and he turned towards his silver-haired friend.

“What?”

Suga smiled and offered him a shrug. “I dunno… Aren’t you lonely?”

“Lonely? Why would I be lonely?” Kageyama asked, forcing himself to smile as Suga stared intently at his face. Forced himself to not think about the twinge of pain in his chest when Suga had asked him that. Forced himself to ignore the thoughts that swam through his head at night when he was alone in their small two-bedroom apartment. Thoughts about how cold he was, or how he missed another’s touch. He couldn’t let himself think that. He couldn’t let himself believe that he was lonely.

Because Rin needed him, and he needed Rin. What else could he possibly want?

“Nevermind, then,” Suga said after a moment’s silence, smiling a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

He didn’t believe Kageyama, either, but he wasn’t going to push it. And, for that, Kageyama was grateful.

“Hi, Daddy!” Rin called, and Kageyama turned towards his son, a smile forming on his face as his pale little hands rose into the air and started waving.

Kageyama raised one hand and waved back, a contented sigh leaving his lips. “I’m not lonely when I have him.”

Suga said nothing, but patted him on the shoulder, a ghost of a smile on his face. The two of them sat together in silence for a while, watching Rin as he ran around the empty playground. He was glad they had decided to come here early because there weren’t any young mothers breathing down his neck about Rin. There was hardly anyone around, at all, being that it was a Tuesday morning.

“Rin, don’t go too close to the road,” Kageyama chided as Rin ran towards the sidewalk, arms out as he made airplane noises. He didn’t seem to hear his father as he continued to run, making swooping motions with his arms as his lips made buzzing noises. “Rin!”

A car horn blared, tires screeched, and Kageyama’s heart leapt up into his throat as he quickly rose from the bench. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he and Suga ran towards the sidewalk where they had last seen Rin. Worry and guilt gripped his gut so tightly that he felt as though he might throw up. If anything happened to Rin, if Rin was hurt—

However, when they reached the spot, Rin wasn’t alone. The raven-haired boy was wrapped up in the arms of a stranger with unruly orange hair, his bare, tattooed arms coiled around Rin’s small body. Rin’s ocean blue eyes were wide and his breathing was ragged, but he seemed otherwise unharmed, and Kageyama's knees gave out in relief. He collided with the pavement and tried to catch his breath while Suga knelt beside him, a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, you okay?” the stranger said to Rin, and Kageyama forced himself to look up.

The stranger’s beauty took his breath away. The young man had wide, gorgeous brown eyes set beneath pale brows and thick lashes. Freckles were smattered across his face, his nose upturned and his lips a perfect pink. Both ears were adorned with several silver rings and his bottom lip was pierced with a ring, too, but it didn’t take away from the stranger’s sunshine-like presence.

“Mhm,” Rin said with a vigorous nod, gazing up at the stranger in awe. “Thank you, mister.”

“You’re welcome,” the young man said, smiling brightly at Rin as he released the kid. “You should really listen to your father, you know. You made him worry.”

Brown eyes met blue ones and Kageyama sucked in a breath as the redhead smiled at him. Rin turned to him, his bottom lip stuck out and quivering.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Rin whispered, throwing himself into Kageyama’s arms and winding his little arms around his father’s neck.

“It’s okay, Rin. I’m just glad you’re okay,” Kageyama said quietly, smoothing down his son’s hair. “Thank you,” he said, looking up at the stranger.

The redhead grinned as he stood up, offering Kageyama a thumbs up. “No problem. You guys have a nice rest of your day.”

And then he was walking away, waving over his shoulder at them.

“Rin, you shouldn’t run off like that. Your dad and I—”

“Wait!” Rin called, releasing Kageyama and cupping his small hands around his mouth. “Stranger! What’s your name?!”

The redhead paused, turning around slightly and tilting his head slightly. That sunshine-like smile dazzled Kageyama once more as he said, “I’m Hinata Shoyo. What’s your name?”

“Kageyama Rinsuke, but everyone calls me Rin!” Rin said proudly, placing his hands on his hips and earning a chuckle from Kageyama.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Rin. You behave now,” Hinata replied, offering Rin a salute as he went to turn around again.

“Shoyo!” Rin called again, his small face scrunching up into a frown.

Kageyama expected the stranger to be exasperated, but, when Hinata turned around, a chuckle bubbled out of his throat. “What is it, Rin?” he asked, and Kageyama’s shoulders relaxed when there wasn’t a hint of resentment or exasperation in his tone.

“Can we be friends? I don’t have any except Daddy and Uncle Suga and Uncle Daichi, and Uncle Bokuto and Uncle Akaashi. Oh, and Uncle Oikawa!” Rin said, counting off Kageyama’s friends on his small fingers. His small face split into a grin when he reached Kuro, seemingly proud that he had remembered Kuro.

Kageyama frowned slightly. “Rin, you shouldn’t—”

“Hell yeah, little dude. We can be friends,” Hinata replied, surprising Kageyama.

Suga let out a small laugh as Rin let out a gasp then ran towards Hinata, wrapping his arms around the strangers legs. “Rin is like the exact opposite of you, huh,” he said, shaking his head as he stood up then helped Kageyama to his feet.

“When will I see you again, Shoyo?” Rin asked curiously, peering up at Hinata with eyes shining in adoration.

Hinata smiled and looked over at Kageyama, patting Rin’s head. “That’s all up to your dad.”

Kageyama blinked in surprise. He had nearly forgotten that this guy was a complete stranger. He seemed so at ease with Rin and Rin seemed so comfortable with him that he could have sworn they’d known each other just as long as Rin had known Suga. 

Rin looked over at him and pleaded, “Can we come back to the park and play with Shoyo, Daddy?”

“I don’t know, Rin…” Kageyama said finally, scratching the back of his head.

He had been determined to keep Rin away from the stranger, but when his son looked up at him with a pouty expression, he sighed heavily.

“If you don’t mind, Hinata—”

“It’s no problem, at all. I love kids,” Hinata said with a chuckle, ruffling Rin’s hair.

Kageyama nodded slowly as he approached Hinata, taking Rin’s hand in his own and pulling out his phone in the other. “Well, give me your number and I guess we can set up a day to meet up here.”

Hinata rattled off his phone number and Kageyama saved it in his phone before pocketing the device. Hinata then crouched before him so that he was eye level with Rin.

“I’ll see you soon, okay? Until then, be on your best behavior for your dad,” Hinata said, a kind smile on his face. “Can you do that for me?”

Rin nodded vigorously, ocean eyes shining with determination. “Yes! I will!”

Hinata laughed and ruffled Rin’s hair. A shock went through Kageyama’s body at the sight, his breath catching in his throat at the genuine laugh coming from the redhead. “Good,” Hinata said, straightening up and smiling at Kageyama. He was shorter up close, coming only up to Kageyama’s chin. “Shoot me a text and I’ll free up my day,” he paused, glancing back at Rin as the child ran back towards Suga. “You’ve got a good kid… uh…”

“Oh, sorry!” Kageyama exclaimed, his cheeks heating as Hinata looked at him expectantly. He had never introduced himself! “Kageyama Tobio,” he said sheepishly, extending a hand to Hinata.

“Right. It was nice meeting you,” Hinata said, shaking his hand gently yet firmly. “I’ve gotta get going now, but I’ll see you around.”

Kageyama nodded and watched the redhead walk away, a strange feeling blossoming in his chest. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Suga approached, Rin in tow. “He was quite handsome,” Suga said teasingly, wiggling his brows at Kageyama with a smirk.

Heat flooded his cheeks and he averted his gaze, mumbling under his breath, “Shut up, Suga. It’s for Rin, that’s all.”

“Mhm… sure,” Suga said, then let the topic drop. “Why don’t we go get lunch? I could use something to eat after all that commotion.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kageyama said, scratching his cheek absently.

“Good, ‘cause you’re buying as compensation for your kid shaving five years off of my life.”

~*~

Hinata collapsed onto his bed with a heavy sigh, exhaustion filling his limbs with gelatin. He’d worked the double shift at the bar last night and he couldn’t believe how utterly exhausted he was. Despite that, he had decided to walk home to get some fresh air and ended up wandering the city until ten a.m. If he hadn’t, though, he would have never met the Kageyamas.

Rin’s ecstatic face flashed before his eyes and Hinata couldn’t help but smile.

Then Kageyama’s face came into view and something in his chest twisted, leaving him breathless. Rin was the spitting image of his father, even though there were several minute differences, and Hinata couldn’t seem to get the image of Kageyama out of his head. He was devastatingly handsome, almost model-like. His dark brows seemed to constantly be furrowed over his dark blue eyes, which were swimming with worry. His pale skin was unblemished and his lips were thin, but still a lovely rosy color.

It wasn’t the first time that Hinata had met a man as pretty as Kageyama, but it was the first time that he’d had such an effect on him. Hinata wasn’t one for serious relationships anymore, but he found himself considering it if Kageyama swung that way.

However, he remembered the silver-haired guy that Kageyama had come to the park with. They seemed close; close enough that they touched each other freely. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it would be just his luck that the one guy he seemed to have any interest in would be in a relationship.

A sigh left his lips as he nuzzled further into his pillow. A buzz came from his back pocket, sending a jolt through his body. He fished out his cellphone and squinted at the too-bright screen, brow furrowing at the unknown number on his screen. The confusion quickly disappeared as he read the message, however.

**_From: UNKNOWN 11:18 a.m._ **

**_Rin can’t stop talking about you. Would you be free Friday morning?_ **

Hinata smiled as he saved the contact to his phone, then typed out his reply.

**_To: Kageyama 11:20 a.m._ **

**_Yeah. Same park?_ **

He was about to lay his phone back down on the bed when it buzzed instantaneously in his hand. A lopsided smirk formed on his face as he clicked the message.

**_From: Kageyama_ **

**_Yeah, does 10 work?_ **

Hinata replied with a quick ‘yep, see you then’ then locked his phone and shoved it under his pillow. He didn’t bother changing out of his work clothes as he pressed his cheek into the pillow and closed his eyes, a soft exhale leaving his lips. He fell asleep with a smile on his face and excitement in his bones.

Excitement that didn’t leave his body all week. He was in top form at the bar for the rest of the week, no matter how many hours he was forced to work. Thankfully, he had Thursday nights off, so he could sleep peacefully and rest up before meeting with the Kageyamas on Friday morning. When his alarm went off at eight on Friday, he awoke feeling completely refreshed and excited.

He showered, ate breakfast, and changed into jeans, an old, distressed band tee, and his beat up sneakers. He added a baseball cap as an afterthought as he was heading out of the apartment, phone and keys in hand. The fifteen minute walk to the park was refreshing; cherry blossom trees were blooming, petals scattering through the air with every cool breeze. More people were out this morning than on Tuesday, experiencing the warmer weather before it grew too humid to truly enjoy. 

He arrived at the park ten minutes early and parked himself on one of the empty benches, propping his elbow up on the back of it and laying his cheek in his hand. There were other children here today—only four or so—and he watched with a smile on his face as the group of kids chased each other through the dirt, their laughter flooding his ears. Their parents were scattered around the park, sitting in the shade as they watched their children play.

He found himself wondering if he ever wanted kids or if this was just nostalgic for him.

He didn’t have the time to dwell on it when he heard Rin’s voice calling out to him, “Shoyo!”

Hinata smiled as he looked up, standing as Rin ran towards him. “Hey, Rin. Have you been good?” he asked as Rin’s small body collided with his legs, his small arms wrapping around his knees.

“Mhm! Been on my best behav.. beha…” Rin’s face scrunched up as he tripped over the word and Hinata chuckled.

“Behavior,” he offered, patting Rin’s head.

The raven-haired kid beamed up at him, nodding sharply. “Yeah! Just like you said!”

“Good,” Hinata said with a smile, looking up at Kageyama as he approached him. The silver-haired man was nowhere to be seen. “How have you been?”

Kageyama rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “Kid’s been driving me crazy asking about you. So... thanks for tolerating him.”

“Tolerating him? Is that what you think I’m doing?” Hinata asked as Rin ran off towards the playground, shouting for Hinata to come with him. He smiled at Kageyama, shaking his head slightly. “As I said, you’ve got a good kid, Kageyama. He made my day last time and it’s the least I could do for him.”

The confusion on Kageyama’s face was blatant. He smiled and shook his head with a small chuckle, patting the older man’s shoulder. He then turned and jogged over to Rin, who was gripping onto the chains of a swing while he waited for Hinata to join him.

“Shoyo?” Rin asked as Hinata helped him into the swing, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the chains tightly.

“Hm?” Hinata hummed, moving around to push Rin’s back. He paused with his hand on the kid’s back.

“Do you like Daddy?”

Hinata’s brows shot upward. “What do you mean by that?”

Rin looked over his shoulder and stared up at him with a suddenly serious gaze. “Daddy hardly ever has time to be with friends, except Uncle Suga and Uncle Daichi. He works a lot and comes home to play with me, but…”

“Ah, you’re worried about him, huh?” Hinata said with a smile, gently beginning to push him. He wasn’t giving him enough push that he was going too fast or high, but enough that the breeze pushed back his black locks. 

Rin nodded vigorously. “I want Daddy to have a really good friend. He seems lonely.”

“Does he?” Hinata asked, glancing over to the bench where he had left Kageyama. The raven-haired man sat by himself, head propped up on one hand with his eyes closed. He seemed exhausted and he supposed Rin was right. He _did_ look lonely. 

“Mhm. I don’t want Daddy to be lonely, so please be his friend, too,” Rin said, little feet digging into the dirt beneath the swing to stop himself. He turned around and gazed up at Hinata with an expression that was strange to see on a child.

Hinata chuckled, nodding. “Alright, alright. You’ve twisted my arm. I’ll try my best.”

“You promise?” Rin asked, sticking out one hand with his pinky extended.

Hinata smiled fondly and linked his pinky through Rin’s. “I promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, Hinata, what about you?”
> 
> “Hm? What about me?”
> 
> “You got a special lady in your life?”

“So, what do you do for a living?” Kageyama asked as he and Hinata walked side-by-side, young Rin asleep in Hinata’s arms.

Hinata looked over at Kageyama and said, “I’m a bartender.”

Ah. He supposed that the tattoos and piercings made sense, then. He had a slight suspicion that Hinata wouldn’t have been the type to hold an office job, but he wasn’t exactly sure what Hinata  _ would _ be doing. Bartender fit him well enough, but Kageyama couldn’t help but think that maybe there was something else hidden in Hinata’s heart.

“Oh. Are you happy there?” he asked casually, shoving his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He had just gotten off of work, dark blue tie loosened around his neck, and came to get Rin from Hinata’s place, but the little boy had been fast asleep when he arrived at Hinata’s small studio apartment.

Hinata shrugged slightly, adjusting his grip on Rin and placing one hand on the back of the little boy’s head. “It pays well enough and I get plenty of tips. I’m only one of two bartenders there, though, so the hours can get kinda sucky.”

“And you’re still willing to watch Rin most days? Are you sure?” Kageyama asked, concern coating his voice.

Hinata nodded with a hum of affirmation. “Of course. This little dude’s awesome. Besides, I nap when he naps throughout the day,” he said with a small laugh, pausing as the boy in his arms shifted sleepily.

“Here, let me take him,” Kageyama said, offering his hands out to Hinata.

“Oh, sure,” Hinata replied, passing off Rin to Kageyama with a soft smile. Once the little boy was adjusted into Kageyama’s arms, he reached over and brushed the boy’s hair from his face with a freckled hand. “He’s such a cutie,” he commented, beaming up at Kageyama. “Looks just like his dad.”

Kageyama chuckled uneasily, the tips of his ears warming at the underlying compliment. “Oh, yeah… I get that quite often. His personality, however, is his mother’s, one hundred percent.”

Hinata peered up at him curiously, raising one eyebrow. “Where is his mother?”

Kageyama sighed and chewed on the inner flesh of his cheek thoughtfully. He’d only known Hinata for a couple of weeks now and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to air his dirty laundry to him just yet. He knew this topic was bound to come up, however, considering he’d asked the redhead if he’d be willing to watch Rin on days that Suga and Daichi wanted a break. It was clear even to an outsider that Rin’s mother wasn’t in the picture.

“Hm… you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Hinata said with a soft smile, turning his gaze forward. “Just know that I’m here to listen to you whenever you need. That’s what makes me such a good bartender.”

Kageyama chuckled and nudged the younger man with his elbow. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hinata grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. He wore a distressed pine green sweater tucked into black jeans with holes in the knees and a pair of black boots. And with the mop of orange curls on top of his head, he looked completely out of the ordinary.

“So, Hinata, what about you?”

“Hm? What about me?” Hinata asked, raising his brows as he looked up at Kageyama.

“You got a special lady in your life?” Kageyama asked with a smile, rubbing his son’s back as Rin shifted and mumbled something in his sleep.

Something flashed over Hinata’s face, but it was gone in an instant, almost as if he had imagined it. The redhead averted his gaze and let out a chuckle that sounded a little forced. “Nah… I don’t really have the time to be serious about a relationship.”

Kageyama’s chest loosened at Hinata’s admittance and he tried to ignore how hard his heart was pounding as he said, “Really? I would’ve thought you had a girlfriend with such handsome features.”

Hinata snorted, smirking up at Kageyama. “Says you. Why don’t  _ you _ have a girlfriend, Bakegeyama?”

Kageyama blinked at the sudden harshness in the redhead’s voice. He gave the shorter man an uneasy smile. “Well, I’ve had my hands full with work and Rin these past few years, so I haven’t had the time for a relationship, either. Even when I tried, most people left me when they learned I had a kid.”

“That’s rude,” Hinata said bluntly, startling Kageyama. When he looked down at the redhead, Hinata was staring straight ahead with his thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his jeans, but Kageyama could make out the way his jaw clenched in the dying sunlight. “People who do that really irk me. Not as if you can do anything about it, he’s your kid. And he’s one hell of a kid.”

Hinata was angry on his behalf? No… It seemed more like he was angry on behalf of Rin. Rather, that’s what Kageyama was telling himself. He’d never been with a man before and, like Hinata had said, he didn’t have time for a relationship, either. It wasn’t as if Hinata was going to date him anyway.

Wait, what was he even thinking? He’s only ever been with women. He’d never even considered being with a man, especially not one like Hinata.

…Did Hinata even like men?

“That’s your building, right?” Hinata said suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Hm? Oh… would you look at that,” Kageyama said with a chuckle, squinting up at his building with a short nod. “Yeah, thanks for walking back with us.”

Hinata smiled up at him, his grin glistening like the morning sun. “No problem! I’ll be on my way, then.”

He turned to leave, but Kageyama reached out and grasped his wrist before he could.

Even if he didn’t want to be with him, it was okay for them to be friends, right?

Hinata looked back over his shoulder at Kageyama, surprise showing in his wide eyes. “What’s up?”

“Why don’t you come up for a drink? You don’t work tonight, right?” Kageyama asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Well… no,” Hinata said slowly, biting down on his lower lip. “I suppose one drink couldn’t hurt.”

Kageyama’s lips stretched into a smile and he didn’t release Hinata’s wrist as he turned and headed into the building, Rin’s softly snoring in his ear. He finally let go of the redhead at the elevator, pressing the up button with his index finger.

“Rin will probably sleep for the rest of the day. What’d you do to tucker him out so much?” Kageyama commented with a chuckle, looking down at Hinata.

The younger man grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “We actually went out with my friends Kuro and Kenma to the arcade. I forgot to run it by you this morning, but you were in such a hurry that I didn’t get the chance before you were bolting out the door.”

Kageyama grimaced. He had woken up late this morning and on top of that, he had to get a sleepy Rin ready for a day at Hinata’s. He couldn’t imagine what his son had gone through this morning while they ran through the streets of Tokyo. By the time they had gotten to Hinata’s, the poor kid’s hair was sticking up at odd angles and he looked dazed from being jostled around in his dad’s arms. However, the dazed look was soon replaced with excitement when Hinata opened the door and Kageyama was quick to leave after that, shouting his goodbyes over his shoulder.

“Ah, yeah… Sorry about that. I had a meeting I needed to get to,” he said with a heavy sigh, stepping onto the elevator as the doors slid open. “Did he have fun with your friends?”

Hinata nodded, smiling fondly as he stared at his warped reflection in the metal doors of the elevator. “Mhm. Kuro plays professional volleyball, so he was tossing Rin in and out of the foam pit there. Rin had a blast. He wouldn’t stop talking about it the whole way home,” he said, looking up at Kageyama with a smile. “I think Kenma really liked him, too, and Kenma has a hard time opening up to new people. It was fun for everyone.”

Hinata seemed to really care about this Kenma person. Kageyama could see it in the way his voice became softer and the way his eyes shone fondly. He swallowed hard as a strange feeling twanged through his gut.

“I’m glad. I’m sure I’ll be hearing about it for the next few days,” he said with a chuckle, stepping off the elevator as it came to a stop on the sixth floor.

Hinata chuckled, following close behind. “You know, Rin kind of reminds me of my little sister Natsu. She was just like him when she was his age.”

“You have a sister?” Kageyama didn’t know much about Hinata’s personal life beyond his work as a bartender, so this information was surprising to him. He glanced down at Hinata as they approached his apartment and he fumbled with the keys, trying to balance Rin in one arm and find the right key with the other. He froze as Hinata’s freckled fingers found his and swiped the keys out of his hand.

“Mhm. She’s only four years younger than me and already a second-year in high school,” Hinata said with a small sigh. “Which key is it?”

“Oh… that one,” Kageyama said, pointing to a golden square key on the ring. “Do you have a good relationship with her?”

Hinata shrugged, inserting the key and turning the lock. “She’s in her rebellious teen phase. Hates everyone and everything, especially me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kageyama said, and he meant it. As an only child himself, he couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to be fighting with a sibling. 

Hinata shrugged as they entered the apartment, kicking his boots off as he closed the door behind them. “She’ll grow out of it, hopefully. I mean… I didn’t, but I doubt she’ll be the same.”

“Do you think she’s looking up to you?” Kageyama said, carefully kicking his shoes off without jostling Rin too much.

The redhead hummed thoughtfully as they walked further into the apartment, following him to Rin’s small bedroom right next door to his own. Hinata peered into the kid’s bedroom and smiled at the many different drawings on the wall—many of them of butterflies or misshapen dinosaurs—before saying, “I dunno. I suppose it’s possible, but I don’t remember being such a jerk in high school. Even when I was beginning to want to branch out, I was the same as I am now.”

“Were you really?” Kageyama said as he lay his son down on the dinosaur-themed bedspread. He carefully began undressing Rin with nimble fingers, pulling the boy’s sneakers off then his trousers and shirt. “I remember being a complete ass to everyone in high school.”

Hinata snorted, waving his hand apologetically as Kageyama looked over at him, surprised. “Sorry, sorry. I just can’t imagine you being a jerk in school. You’re too…”

“Soft?” Kageyama offered quietly, going to Rin’s dresser and pulling out some pajamas. 

“I was gonna say ‘sweet,’” Hinata replied, pursing his lips. “Not like there’s anything wrong with being either, anyway. I was a soft-willed kid. I think that’s why I rebelled in school. Started working out cause kids used to pick on me for being short and scrawny, then I pierced my ears and got my first tattoo and… they stopped shortly after that.”

Kageyama pulled a cotton shirt over Rin’s head then slid the boy’s skinny legs into the matching pants before tucking him into bed. “You got into fights, huh?” he mused, brushing Rin’s hair off of his head. The boy murmured something incoherent, licked his lips, then rolled onto his side, latching onto a giraffe plush that he often kept by his pillow. A fond smile formed on Kageyama’s face and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to Rin’s temple before rising to his feet.

He switched off the light in the room as the two of them filtered back into the living room, leaving the boy’s door open a crack. He was certain that Rin wouldn’t wake up until morning, but if he did, he wanted the boy to know that his father was not far.

“Oh, yeah,” Hinata said with a chuckle, nodding his head. “I got suspended four times in my third year. I’m surprised they didn’t expel me. Mom was furious.”

Kageyama shook his head with a low whistle. “Well, I was never that bad, that’s for sure,” he said, chuckling as he walked over to the kitchenette and pulled a bottle of whiskey out of the cabinet. “You good with whiskey?”

Hinata blinked, leaning against the counter as he peered at the bottle. “Do you plan on getting me absolutely shitfaced?”

“What? You don’t drink whiskey?” Kageyama asked, brows stitching together in confusion.

Hinata chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “Actually, this is gonna sound weird, but I don’t drink all that often. I think seeing drunk people every night at the bar turned me off of it.”

Kageyama raised a brow then returned the bottle of whiskey to the cabinet, turning towards the fridge instead. “No, it makes sense. It’s just surprising that a bartender doesn’t drink.”

“Trust me, I know. I get shit about it all the time from my friend Tanaka,” Hinata replied with a low laugh, one hand raking through his hair and his chin resting on the other as he leaned forward on the counter. “I’ve gotten drunk a few times and decided that I don’t like the feeling or what it does to my head.”

“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. I get it,” Kageyama said, taking two beers out of the fridge and opening both on the edge of the counter, then placing one in front of Hinata. “I pretty much stopped drinking after Rin came into my life. I’d do anything for that kid.”

Hinata smiled as he wrapped one hand around the bottle in front of him. “Like giving up your social life for him?”

Kageyama nearly choked on his beer at the sudden bluntness in Hinata’s tone, sputtering and coughing for a few moments. He squinted at Hinata over his elbow and raasped, “What do you mean?”

Hinata eyed him in a way he was unaccustomed to, like a cat would watch a mouse. “Rin tells me that you don’t really have any friends outside of his uncles Suga and Daichi. He seems quite worried about you.”

Rin was worried about him? But…

“Why wouldn’t Rin say any of this to me?” Kageyama voiced, lowering his arm and placing his beer on the counter. He stared into the open mouth of the bottle, fingers digging into its amber neck.

“He’s a perceptive kid. I don’t think he wanted to worry you,” Hinata said, straightening up and taking a swig of his beer. He smacked his lips as he swallowed, and a strange heat pooled in Kageyama’s stomach. “He’s young, but he’s definitely not stupid. He knows what you’ve given up for him, even if you don’t think he does.”

“Why… why are you telling me this?” Kageyama breathed, screwing his eyes shut.

“I made a promise,” Hinata said, coming around and placing his hand on Kageyama’s elbow. 

“A promise?” Kageyama echoed, forcing himself to look down at Hinata, a frown forming on his lips.

Hinata beamed up at him, nodding his head. “Yep. But that’s between Rin and I, so I’m not gonna tell you about that promise just yet.”

“Huh? Then why’d you—”

“I just want you to know that you’re not alone, Kageyama,” Hinata said, fist colliding lightly with Kageyama’s bicep. “Not only do you have Suga and Daichi, but I want you to know that I’ll be here, too. And… I’m glad that I’ve met you. Rin, too.”

The heat in Kageyama’s gut had spread into his lungs and, with every breath he took, he felt as though he was inhaling the humidity that came after a strong rain. When was the last time someone earnestly told him that they were happy to have met them? He couldn’t remember, nor could he stop thinking about this one instance.

The heat in his body didn’t disappear once Hinata left for the night. It remained with him, slowly spreading through his whole body until he felt as if he was on fire, his heart encompassed in a ring of fire that licked at the thick walls he had put up around it. Walls that he had sworn he would never take down for anyone.

Walls that felt as though they were shaking from the aftermath of the storm that was Hinata Shoyo.

~*~

By the time the weekend rolled around, Kageyama was utterly exhausted and grateful for the break. Though he supposed he could hardly consider his weekends as ‘breaks’ when he had a four-year-old that never seemed to run out of batteries.

“Boku, Akaasi!” Rin called, running with his arms out and giggles pouring from his lips.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Bokuto Kotaro leaned down and scooped Rin up into his arms with a hearty laugh, the frosted tips of his hair hanging in his face as though he hadn’t had the chance to gel it up like usual.

“Hey, Kags,” Akaashi, Bokuto’s soft-mannered boyfriend, greeted with a small smile, one hand resting on Bokuto’s back. “Glad you could make it.”

Kageyama smiled, nodding softly. “Me too. Thanks for letting me bring Rin, as always.”

Bokuto, who had been in the middle of squeezing and rocking Rin back and forth, paused and scoffed. “Dude, how many times do we gotta tell you? Little Rinsuke is always welcome here. We love him. Besides, it’s good practice.”

Kageyama’s brows shot into his hairline. “You guys finally decided?”

Akaashi nodded, dark curls bouncing. “Mhm. We’ve applied to adopt,” he said, a bright smile forming on his face.

Kageyama grinned, wrapping Akaashi up in a one-armed hug. “Guys, that’s awesome! I finally won’t be the only one of us with a kid,” he said teasingly, squeezing Akaashi’s shoulders.

“No, but you’re still the only single friend,” Bokuto teased back, smirking as Rin looked over at his dad.

“You know that’s not fair, Bokuto,” Kageyama said with a sigh, shoulders drooping.

Rin pouted and gripped Bokuto’s face in his small hands. “Yeah, Uncle Boku! Don’t be mean to Daddy!”

Bokuto laughed, patting Rin’s back. “Hey, I’m just joking around with your dad. He knows I don’t mean it.”

“You okay, Daddy?” Rin asked sincerely, small face scrunched up in a serious expression as he turned to look at Kageyama.

He chuckled and nodded. “I’m okay, kiddo. Why don’t you and Uncle Bokuto go get something to eat?”

They were at a street fair for the afternoon and the scents of fried food drifted into his nostrils, making his mouth water. He watched Bokuto hoist Rin up on his shoulders, the small boy twisting his hands into Bokuto’s hair, and hurry off towards a stand, a grateful sigh leaving his lips.

“How have you been, Kageyama?” Akaashi asked suddenly as they sat down on the ledge of a small garden.

“Hm? Oh, I’m fine. Busy as usual, but fine,” he said, offering his friend a half-hearted smile.

Akaashi peered at him with an analyzing blue-eyed gaze, the corner of his mouth turning downward as he searched Kageyama’s face. “You know, if you need more help with Rin, Bokuto and I are always willing to watch him.”

Kageyama shook his head sharply. “I couldn’t ask that of you. I’ve already got too many people helping me as it is.”

“Huh? I thought only Suga and Daichi watched him during the week?” the other raven-haired man asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Oh, well, funny story… A guy named Hinata Shoyo saved Rin from running into the street and Rin’s become absolutely smitten with him. He’s been going to Hinata’s twice a week now, whenever Suga and Daichi need a break,” Kageyama said with an airy chuckle, crossing his legs at the ankles. “He’s a nice guy, despite his appearance.”

“You’re trusting a complete stranger with your kid?” Akaashi asked, stunned.

Kageyama turned to Akaashi, cheeks heating as he shook his head vigorously. “No! Hinata’s not really a stranger, I guess… I’ve come to get to know him and— what?” he asked suddenly, staring dumbly at Akaashi as the older man smirked knowingly at him.

“Is he handsome?”

“What?! What’s that got to do with anything?!” Kageyama sputtered, face burning brightly from embarrassment.

Akaashi snickered behind his hand. “So he  _ is _ handsome. Good for you, Tobio.”

“Akaashi, nothing like that is going on here. He gets along with Rin and—”  
“He’s the first person who hasn’t known Rin from birth that has loved him so dearly that you trust him with your kid’s life,” Akaashi said, leaning back on his palms as he gazed at Kageyama curiously. “You’ve always looked for someone like that, so what’s wrong with admitting that you like the guy?”

Kageyama sighed, placing his head in his hands. “It’s not that I don’t want to admit it, but… he and I have both made it clear that we don’t have time for a relationship. And… I don’t even know if he likes men. Besides that, I’ve only hung out with him one-on-one maybe four times and not for very long. How am I supposed to know if I actually like him?”

“Do you text him a lot?”

“A few times a day, maybe.”

“Do you smile at his texts?”

“Uh… maybe?”

“Do you look forward to seeing him when you drop Rin off? And more than just because you’re getting Rin out of your hair?”

Kageyama paused, slowly lifting his head out of his hands as his heart began to race. Seeing Hinata’s shining face in the mornings had become a staple of his week without him even knowing it. On the days that Rin went to Suga’s, he couldn’t seem to keep a smile on his face for long. But knowing that he’d have to go get Rin from Hinata at the end of the day and seeing the redhead before going to work… Oh, he was so fucked.

“I thought so,” Akaashi said with a small chuckle. “Look, dude, I’m not saying you guys have to start a relationship. Just… take it easy. Get to know him a bit better, feel out the situation. Figure out if he’s into men or not, that’s an important one.”

Kageyama chuckled breathlessly, gripping his hair tightly. “God… why is this happening  _ now _ ?”

“Because you’ve finally realized that you miss having an adult companion, and not just your college buddies. And… you deserve love, too, Kageyama. You just need to go get it,” Akaashi said, patting Kageyama’s back comfortingly.

That was easier said than done.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Have you… have you ever thought about me that way?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hihi! sorry for a lull in updates. i went home for the weekend and haven't had a chance to write until now.
> 
> hope you enjoy!  
> ~M

Hinata rose from bed stiffly, head filled with the fog of sleep, at a series of knocks at the front door. He pressed his palms into his eyes as he swung his legs out of bed and staggered over to the door, a sigh leaving his lips. He had worked a double shift at work last night—a total of almost eleven hours—and he had collapsed in bed almost immediately upon returning home almost… He glanced over at the clock and scowled. Six fifteen a.m. He had gotten home only four hours ago.

He unlocked the door and pried it open, a surprised grunt leaving his lips as a small body collided with his kneecaps. Kageyama stood before him with a sheepish smile on his face, his dark hair sticking up in several different directions as if he had just woken up. Rin, on the other hand, had his hair brushed and his clothes were unrumpled as he hugged Hinata around the legs.

“Sho-chan!” Rin exclaimed, nuzzling his face into Hinata’s thigh.

“Ah… good morning,” Hinata mumbled, stifling a yawn with his hand.

Kageyama tilted his head as he stared at him intently. “Did we wake you?”

Hinata nodded, offering him a half-assed smile. “Yeah, no big deal, though. I’ll catch up on sleep when Rin naps.”

“Can we nap together?!” Rin asked, peering up at Hinata with a giant smile on his face.

Hinata chuckled and nodded, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Yeah, of course. Do you want to see Kuro and Kenma again today?”

A small excited gasp left Rin’s lips and he nodded vigorously. “Mhm! I want Kuro-san to play airplane with me again!”

Kageyama chuckled, adjusting his grip on Rin’s small backpack. “I’m glad he enjoys being with your friends, too.”

Hinata nodded, watching as Rin ran over to the couch and jumped onto the worn material, giggling happily. “Well, they adore him, too. He has that effect on people.”

Kageyama hummed in agreement as he gazed at the other man’s profile. “You know, Hinata, if you’re too tired to watch Rin, I can ask Suga—”  
“Hey, I only get to see him two days a week, I’ll be fine,” he said firmly, eyeing Kageyama with a smirk forming on his lips. “Besides, it’s pretty much the only time I get to see you looking all cute for work, too.” He held back a chuckle as Kageyama’s cheeks turned cherry red, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. Hinata then reached out and took Rin’s backpack from him, leaning close enough to mutter, “Come in for a minute and let me fix your hair.”

“What? What’s wrong with my hair?” Kageyama asked, hand straying to his hair in surprise.

Hinata grasped Kageyama’s hand gently and pulled him into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind him. “You look like you just rolled out of bed. Sit on the couch and let me fix it for you.”

“But I’m gonna be late and—”

“If you’re already late, what’s the difference?” Hinata called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the bathroom, grabbing his brush from the counter.

Kageyama didn’t argue back and a smug smile formed on Hinata’s face; he had won for now. He came back out into the living area and found Rin bouncing on his bed in the far corner, a dinosaur plushie in his hands, and Kageyama sitting stiffly on the couch, cheeks still tinged a rosy pink.

“Sit back,” Hinata demanded gently, going around to the back of the couch and patting Kageyama’s shoulder.

The raven-haired man leaned back into the couch and he swallowed audibly, eliciting a soft chuckle from Hinata. He gently ran his fingers through Kageyama’s hair gently, following it through with the brush. He hummed under his breath as he alternated between raking the brush and his fingers through Kageyama’s soft black locks. Under his fingers, a shudder racked through Kageyama’s body and he paused, fingers stilling in his hair.

“You okay?” he asked, slowly pulling his hand back.

He jolted in surprise when Kageyama reached back suddenly and grabbed his hand, placing it back in his hair almost hesitantly. “Yeah… It feels good,” Kageyama murmured, his eyes cast downward.

Hinata smiled, setting the brush aside as he continued to run his fingers through the other man’s hair. They sat like that for a while until Rin ran over and bounced on the balls of his feet, hands resting on his father’s knees.

“Daddy, can I watch TV?”

Kageyama lurched forward and cold air brushed over Hinata’s bare knuckles. He stifled a sigh and went to put his brush away, wondering why a feeling of disappointment was spreading through his chest.

“He can watch whatever. Remote’s on the coffee table,” Hinata called, placing the brush on the counter and glancing at himself in the mirror. He grimaced at his pale complexion, unruly mop of ginger curls, and purple bruises under his eyes. He quickly left the bathroom and closed the door behind him, biting his lower lip as he watched Kageyama rise up from the couch and setting Rin down in his spot with his stuffed dinosaur.

“Alright, I’ve gotta head out. Thank you, again, Hinata, for watching him. I’ll be back around six, hopefully,” Kageyama said, obviously forcing casualness.

Hinata gave him a small smile. “Sure. I’ll call you if we have any problems.”

Kageyama nodded and leaned down, kissing the top of Rin’s head before heading towards the door. “Don’t cause any trouble for Hinata, okay?”

“Okay!”

“See you later,” Hinata said as he followed Kageyama to the door, closing and locking it behind him.

Hinata and Rin spent two hours doing random things around the studio apartment. First, they watched Rin’s favorite TV show, and Hinata chugged a cup of coffee through the whole thing. Then they colored on some blank sheets of paper Hinata had found shoved under his bed—they were actually sheets from his employee handbook, but Rin would color anything—and he nursed his second cup of coffee. By the time Kuro and Kenma showed up at eighty thirty, Hinata was on his third cup of coffee and Rin was beginning to run out of things to keep him entertained.

“Oh, thank God,” he exhaled as he opened the door and his two best friends stood before him. 

Kuro’s dark hair was spiked up and his bangs hung in his face as usual, a pale, tattooed arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s shoulders. Kenma’s hair was dark brown with blond tips, pulled back in half-up half-down style. They both wore dark colors; Kuro in a dark red sleeveless crop top and black jeans tucked into combat boots, and Kenma in a black sweater and shredded denim jeans paired with beat up sneakers.

“Kuro! Kenma!” Rin exclaimed, toddling over to them and colliding with their legs, a riot of giggles leaving his little body.

“Sho, you look tired,” Kenma commented bluntly, reaching out and brushing Hinata’s hair from his face as Kuro scooped up Rin and headed to the living area with the boy. “How much sleep did you get?”

“Four-ish hours?” he suggested with a small shrug, closing the door behind Kenma as the shorter man walked in. “I think I’m on my third cup of coffee in three hours.”

Kenma appraised him with sharp, cat-like golden eyes. “You need to start going to sleep earlier.”

Hinata eyed his friend with a small scoff. “As if you’re one to talk, Mr. ‘Just One More Level,’” he retorted, leaning on his counter and closing his eyes.

“Why’d you agree to watch the kid when you look as if you’re about to fall over?” Kenma pressed, ignoring the comment about his own sleep schedule. “Couldn’t you have canceled?”

“Yeah, I could have, but… I like having Rin around. Besides, Kageyama is a busy guy and he can’t afford daycare, so he’s been making two of his friends watch him everyday because they work from home. I’m giving them a much needed break,” Hinata said, laying his head on his arm as Kenma leaned his back against the counter next to him.

Kenma crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head up towards the ceiling. Rin’s laughter echoed throughout the apartment as Kuro lay on his back on the floor, hoisting the little boy up and making airplane noises as he maneuvered Rin through the air.

“What’s so special about this Kageyama guy?” Kenma asked suddenly, eyes still trained on the ceiling.

“Hm?” Hinata hummed, head jerking as he was pulled back from the sleep-fog in his brain.

“Why are you going out of your way for a guy you barely know? You’ve never shown interest in kids before,” Kenma stated, raising his eyebrows as he looked over at Hinata and their eyes met.

He could always depend on Kenma to tell it like it is, but there were some things that he wished his friend would leave alone.

Hinata shrugged, hoping to dodge the question as he lifted his head to watch Kuro and Rin. However, he felt Kenma’s cat-like eyes boring into the side of his head and he sighed, dropping his gaze to the countertop. “What do you want me to say, Kenma?” he asked quietly, fingers flexing around his coffee mug.

“I want you to admit that you have even a little crush on this guy,” his friend demanded, glancing over at Rin and Kuro. His eyes softened ever so slightly as he watched Kuro make faces at the four-year-old. “I want you to admit that you’re considering pursuing romance again because you deserve it.”

Hinata snorted, dropping his forehead onto the cool countertop. “Like you said, I barely know the guy. Why would I want to pursue a romance with someone I barely know? Besides, I doubt he’s even into men. Clearly, he had to fuck a woman to have a kid.”

“Bisexuality  _ is _ a thing, you know,” Kenma retorted, sighing through his nose. “Look, Shoyo, it’s been two years. You’ve done nothing but fuck around for two years. Aren’t you tired of it?”

Hinata said nothing, lips twisting into a frown as his heart skipped a beat. His fingers tightened around his mug until the knuckles were white, his shoulders stitching together.

“What happened hurt you, I know, and I’m not trying to disregard that hurt,” Kenma said, voice suddenly soft as his thin hand landed on Hinata’s shoulder. “But what happened with Atsumu is not something to dwell on for two years.”

Hinata gritted his teeth. “I’m not dwelling on anything.”

“Aren’t you?” Kenma pressed, fingers digging into Hinata’s shoulders gently. “You’re trying to deny yourself this because you think what happened with Atsumu will happen again, right? He doesn’t deserve your thoughts, Shoyo, and you don’t deserve to hold onto this kind of hurt.”

Hinata lifted his head as his eyes began to sting with welling tears. He wanted to cry. God, his heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. Only Kenma would ever say these kinds of things to him, knowing that he was hiding them from himself. But, even if he wanted to act, he didn’t think it was a good idea. Kageyama and Rin had a routine, a system, and it wasn’t Hinata’s place to come in and ruin that.

No, if anything was to happen between him and Kageyama, he decided that Kageyama would have to be the one to initiate it.

“I can’t just insert myself into their lives. I’m watching Rin now because Kageyama asked me to, but if I were to cross that boundary… it could ruin everything. I’m not gonna be the one who crosses that line,” Hinata said quietly, swallowing hard as he gazed at Rin and Kuro, who were now drawing lopsided butterflies onto the spare sheets of paper.

“You’re going to keep this all bottled up to spare putting this guy in an awkward position?” Kenma asked incredulously, head tilting to the side. “You’re not going to say  _ anything _ ?”

Hinata shook his head, turning and offering Kenma a sad smile. “It’s not my place. Until Kageyama decides he wants something else from me, I’m content with being this close to him.”

“And if he finds someone else?”

Hinata ignored the pang in his chest at the thought. “I’ll survive.”

Kenma scowled at him for several long moments before sighing and shaking his head. “I don’t understand you, but whatever. It’s your decision and I’ll respect that.”

He smiled and patted his friend’s shoulder. “Thanks, Kenma. Now… can you two watch Rin for a bit while I take a short nap? I’m exhausted.”

Kenma smiled and nodded, shooing him towards the bed. “Yeah, you rest up. We’ll be fine.”

~*~

“You don’t mind?” Kageyama asked for the umpteenth time as he hesitantly lowered himself into a barstool at the counter of Hinata’s kitchen.

Hinata shook his head with a soft chuckle. “Kageyama, I’m serious. Stay for dinner.”

“Ah… okay. What about—”

“Rin’s tuckered out from playing with Kuro all day. We went to the park after lunch and he practically ran himself into the ground. I’ll have a plate ready for him when he wakes up,” Hinata replied, glancing over his shoulder and smiling kindly at Kageyama. He could just make out Rin’s shadow, curled up beneath his comforter, on the bed across the room. “Seriously, Kageyama, I insist.”

The raven-haired man exhaled slowly, tension easing out of his shoulders like a deflating balloon, and nodded, a sheepish smile on his face. “Okay, thank you.”

Hinata only nodded and turned back to the stove, where he was stirring vegetables and oil in a pan for stir fry. “Do you want any booze?” he asked, not looking up from the stove.

Kageyama let out a relieved sigh, an embarrassed chuckle leaving his lips. “Yes, please. It’s been a day.”

Hinata smiled to himself and used his heel to kick open the door of the fridge. “I figured as much. I’ve only got cheap beer and a little bit of sake left over from Christmas. Pick your poison.”

“You’re a bartender and don’t have anything to mix for guests?” Kageyama asked, a hint of teasing in his tone.

“Not exactly like I have the room to host a party,” Hinata said casually, raising his brows as he looked over at Kageyama. He bit back a smile as he noticed the raven-haired man’s pale cheeks tinted with red.

Kageyama nodded, clearing his throat. “Right… sake is fine.”

Hinata grabbed the bottle of sake out of the fridge and grabbed a short glass out of the cabinet, placing it in front of Kageyama on the counter and pouring the sake into the glass. He held up a finger as Kageyama reached out to take the glass, clicking his tongue as he reached into the freezer and popped out two ice cubes. He then placed those in Kageyama’s drink before closing the bottle of sake and leaving it on the counter.

“One of these days, I think I’ll have to visit your work and see you in action,” Kageyama commented as he swirled the drink in his hand, ice clanking against glass as he did so.

Hinata chuckled as he turned back to the stove. “I don’t know… Doesn’t really seem like your kind of place, Kageyama.”

The other man downed his glass of sake in two gulps, a breathy laugh leaving his lips. “Maybe, but I’m sure you’re in your element there. It’s like… the only side I haven’t seen of you, yet.”

“That’s not true,” Hinata mumbled, shoving one hand into the back pocket of his jeans as he used the other to stir the veggies in the pan.

“Hm?” Kageyama questioned as he poured himself another glass of sake.

Hinata cleared his throat then glanced over his shoulder, forcing himself to smile at Kageyama. “You’ve got it all wrong. Sure, I know my drinks, but I’m definitely not a master. Most nights, I’m lucky to get out of there alive,” he said with a half-hearted laugh. Kenma’s words were still ringing through his mind, no matter how hard he wished they would quit.

“You get out pretty late, right?” Kageyama asked, trying to cover the concern in his eyes with forced curiosity.

“Mhm. Most nights I’m not home until nearly three a.m. I may not be a master, but I’m the most competent and the quickest, so I’m almost always on the night shift. Especially on weekends,” he replied, tossing softened noodles into the mix of veggies and stirring it a few times until everything was thoroughly mixed and cooked all the way through. He turned off the stove then and pulled three bowls out of the cabinet, placing them on the counter.

Kageyama’s eyes were locked in on the peeling label on the bottle of sake, teeth worrying at his lower lip. “And you still look after Rin all day?”

“Well… today, I had Kenma and Kuro watch him for an hour or two while I slept, but yeah, that’s usually the case,” he commented casually, dishing out the food evenly. “Don’t you dare ask me if I’m okay with that, either.”

“Huh? I wasn’t—”

Kageyama’s face was beet red when Hinata turned to look at him, a smile forming on his freckled face. “No, but you were thinking about it. Trust me, I can handle myself just fine. Now, eat up,” he said, placing a bowl in front of Kageyama with a pair of disposable chopsticks. He placed the sake back in the fridge and grabbed a beer for himself, popping the top off using the corner of the countertop. 

He leaned against the counter opposite of Kageyama as he began eating his own food and the sounds of clacking chopsticks against glass bowls were the only things that could be heard for several long moments. He was reveling in the silence when Kageyama spoke again.

“You… you really don’t have a girlfriend?”

Hinata cocked an eyebrow. “No,” he said simply, shoveling food into his mouth and slurping up noodles.

“Is there a reason?”

He cocked an eyebrow. Kageyama wouldn’t meet his gaze and was shifting uneasily in his seat, bangs hanging in his face. However, Hinata didn’t need to see his face to know that the older man was blushing profusely.

“I like men,” Hinata said simply, shrugging and casting his eyes downward as Kageyama’s head snapped up. “And… I’ve figured out that I’m not meant for relationships.”

“Wait… you’re…?” Kageyama couldn’t seem to force the word out and Hinata chuckled.

“Gay, yeah. Does that change your perception of me?” he asked, raising his brows as he placed his food to the side and met Kageyama’s eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Kageyama exhaled and shook his head, a strange smile passing over his face. “I dunno, you just… you seemed very straight to me. Now that I know, though, it kind of makes sense.”

Hinata snorted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m not very open about my sexuality anymore. I think that my appearance helps.”

“A little,” Kageyama said with a chuckle, stirring his food absently. He was suddenly lost in thought, staring into the bowl with a vague smile on his face. Hinata thought he was going to leave it at that when, suddenly, Kageyama asked, “Have you… have you ever thought about me that way?”

Hinata’s whole stomach dropped to his feet and through the floor. He forced out a chuckle. “C’mon, Kageyama. I think that sake is getting to you.”

The raven-haired man frowned, thick brows stitching together in confusion. “No, I feel fine. I’m honestly curious.”

_ Shitshitshit _ .

Hinata snorted, chuckling a bit louder than usual as he turned away. He grabbed his bowl and tried to ignore the thundering of his heart in his ears as he said, “Nah, I’ve never thought about you like that. Hell, I barely know you.”

“Ah…”

Maybe Hinata was reading too much into it, but it almost sounded as if Kageyama was disappointed. He was about to turn around and look when he suddenly felt another presence at his back. He went rigid as Kageyama’s slender fingers twisted into the hair at the nape of his neck, spine straightening at the foreign touch. 

“Y’know… I thought I was into women all this time and then you… you showed up and you haven’t left my thoughts since,” Kageyama whispered, sounding almost desperate. The scent of sake and soy sauce washed over Hinata’s face and he knew then that Kageyama was definitely  _ not _ fine. Sake was a bit too strong for a man who hardly drank anymore.

“C’mon, Kageyama, you’re drunk,” Hinata mumbled, even as his heart pounded in his chest. Kageyama was so close that he could feel the heat emanating off of him and smell his cologne. 

A low whine left Kageyama’s mouth, desperate and needy, as Hinata tried to step away. “Please… just one kiss,” came his whispered plea, one hand twisting into the hem of Hinata’s t-shirt.

Kageyama was several inches taller than Hinata, whose forehead reached the tip of the raven-haired man’s chin, and he had to crane his neck back to peer up at the other man. Kageyama’s face was screwed up in a pout that was very much unlike the well-put-together man he’d come to know, cheeks flushed more from the alcohol than from embarrassment. In his blue eyes, Hinata could see his desire burning.

“I don’t want to take advantage of you when you’re not sober,” Hinata said quietly, placing a hand on Kageyama’s chest as the older man tried to close the distance between them.

“You’re not… I… asked for it,” Kageyama mumbled, leaning down slowly with his lips parted.

Hinata was torn by his own desperate need and his desire to make sure that Kageyama didn’t do anything that he would regret. In the end, after a lot of back and forth while Kageyama’s mouth seemed to get closer and closer in slow motion, Hinata quickly ducked out of the way, catching the older man by the shoulders as he stumbled forward.

“Alright, Kageyama… let’s get you home,” he said quietly, guiding the taller man over to the couch.

To his surprise, the raven-haired man didn’t argue but slowly nodded, a dejected look on his face. Hinata’s gut twisted with guilt, but he didn’t allow himself to dwell on it as he pulled out his phone and dialed Suga’s number, thankful that Kageyama had given him the number as a backup plan.

“Hey, Suga, it’s Hinata Shoyo… Mhm, yeah, I’m good… Listen, I made the mistake of allowing Kageyama to drink something a little too strong while he was at my place today and I was wondering if you could come get him and Rin. I don’t trust him to make the walk home or to keep an eye on Rin. Hell, I don’t even know if he could take a taxi right now,” he said quickly, biting down on his lower lip as he glanced sidelong at the raven-haired man on his couch.

Kageyama was sitting with his head in his hands, his elbows balanced on his knees. He didn’t seem to be listening to whatever Hinata was saying, but the redhead was sure that he was hearing every bit of it. He knew he may remember everything, but that was something he could deal with later.

Suga, thankfully, agreed to come and pick up the Kageyamas and showed up within half an hour. Hinata carried Rin to the car while Suga helped Kageyama, who seemed more tired than anything else by the time his silver-haired friend showed up. He wouldn’t look at Hinata still, but Hinata supposed that may be for the best.

“Thanks for coming, Suga,” he said once they had both Kageyamas in the car and ready to go, rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t think he’d get that bad off of just two drinks.”

Suga chuckled, patting Hinata’s arm lightly. “It’s not a problem. He’s kind of a lightweight, so think of this as a learning experience.”

“Right…” Hinata began, brow furrowing. “Um, anyway… would you be alright with you and Daichi taking back my shifts with Rin? I… I’ve been getting really late shifts at the bar lately and getting very little sleep on top of that, so—”

Suga cut him off with a wave of his hand, a bright smile on his face. “Hey, don’t worry about it! I totally get it. Anyway, I think Daichi and I were going to drive ourselves crazy on the days where it was so quiet without Rin.”

Hinata chuckled and nodded, scratching the back of his head. “Right, thank you. Um… I’ll see you around, then. Take good care of them.”

“Of course,” the silver-haired man replied as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

Hinata then stepped back onto the curb and watched the car drive away, eyes trained on the silhouette in the passenger seat, until he could no longer see it. He supposed that’d be the last time he saw Kageyama for a while and he couldn’t decide whether or not that was a bad thing. After all, he just wasn’t cut out for relationships.

But, as he climbed back up the stairs and locked himself in his apartment, he felt as though he was locking yet another chain around his heart, too.


End file.
